Welcome to the 2015 Indy Music Awards

Five years ago, the Indy Music Awards Festival made its debut at Stargazer's Theatre. Two years later, the event moved to Tejon Street, where winning acts played on several indoor and outdoor stages, including one rootftop. And this year, it's happening again, as the IMA expands to two days at Ivywild.

Better still, our 2015 festival is being held in conjunction with a sister event, Bristol Brewing's Freewheelin' Music Fest, which is bringing in an impressive collection of touring artists. Daptone soul legend Charles Bradley and indie-folk artist Phosphorescent (see interview) are headlining the paid Bristol event, while the Indy Music Awards stage will continue to be free.

Following are profiles of this year's IMA winners, as voted by our readers. They're a diverse bunch, from hip-hop emcee Stoney Bertz and turntablist DJ Gravity to jazzman Tony Exum Jr. and rural refugee Chauncy Crandall. All of them possess a level of musicianship that would impress music fans anywhere.

We hope you'll enjoy reading their stories and also make it out to the festivities this Friday and Saturday.